The moon hung high above the forest, casting a silver glow over the clearing where the entire Bloodfang Pack had gathered. Wolves in both human and beast forms stood shoulder to shoulder, waiting for the most anticipated event of the year—the Mating Ceremony.
But for Aria Blackwood, it was nothing short of a nightmare.
She stood at the center of the ritual circle, her heart pounding so violently she was sure the whole pack could hear it. Her long auburn hair spilled over her shoulders, her pale hands trembling at her sides. Her wolf whimpered inside her, sensing danger.
She had waited for this day her entire life. The day she would be claimed, accepted, cherished. She had hoped—foolishly—that Alpha Caleb Thorn, her fated mate, would embrace her as his Luna.
But that hope died the moment he stepped forward, his cold eyes devoid of affection.
"Aria Blackwood," Caleb said, his voice firm and emotionless, "I, Alpha of the Bloodfang Pack, reject you as my mate and future Luna."
Gasps filled the air like shattered glass. Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Aria's world tilted beneath her feet.
She stared at him, unable to process what she had just heard. Caleb was tall, handsome, the perfect picture of an alpha male. But tonight, all she could see was cruelty etched across his face.
"But… why?" she whispered, voice trembling.
He sneered. "You? A nobody omega? Weak, poor, and useless? I have no interest in dragging my pack down with someone like you. I have already chosen my Luna—Selena Voss."
The crowd parted as Selena stepped forward, draped in an elegant silver gown that hugged her curves. Her red lips curled into a mocking smile.
"You should thank him," Selena said sweetly. "He spared you the humiliation of being a Luna you could never live up to."
Laughter erupted, but Aria barely heard it. Pain shot through her chest as the bond—the sacred mating connection—began to unravel.
It felt like her soul was being ripped in half.
Tears welled up in her eyes. She wanted to run, to scream, to beg. But something inside her snapped into place.
Dignity.
She clenched her jaw, forcing her body to remain upright. Her voice was soft but steady when she said, "I… accept your rejection."
The moment the words left her lips, the pain exploded.
It was like a thousand knives slicing through every nerve in her body. Her knees buckled. She collapsed to the ground, gasping for air as the mating bond was severed. The wolves surrounding her looked on with mixed pity and amusement. Caleb didn't spare her a second glance as he turned to wrap an arm around Selena.
Aria lay there, broken, forgotten, as the rest of the pack began to cheer for their new Luna-to-be.
"I need to get out of here," she whispered to herself, pushing against the cold earth with shaking limbs.
Her wolf stirred inside her. "Run."
And she did.
The night was cold as Aria stumbled through the forest, barefoot and sobbing. Branches scratched her skin, but she didn't care. She kept running—deeper and deeper into the woods—away from the shame, away from the rejection.
Eventually, her strength gave out. She collapsed beside a stream, her reflection rippling in the water. Her face was pale, eyes red-rimmed, her body shivering from exhaustion and heartache.
"This isn't fair," she whispered to the wind. "Why did the Moon Goddess give me a mate only to have him tear me apart?"
She curled into herself, wishing the earth would swallow her whole.
But then… the air shifted.
A breeze, warmer than the night around her, brushed her cheek. A presence—ancient and powerful—settled nearby.
Aria looked up sharply. Her eyes scanned the trees, heart racing. She could sense it—something watching her. But not with malice.
It was like the forest itself was holding its breath.
Then a low, deep voice echoed through the trees.
"You were never meant to belong to him."
She scrambled backward, heart pounding. "Who's there?"
Footsteps emerged from the darkness—slow, deliberate, and heavy with authority. A man stepped into the moonlight, and Aria's breath caught in her throat.
He was tall. Towering. Dressed in black, his shirt clung to his broad chest, and his silver eyes glowed faintly under the moon. Power radiated off him like heat from a wildfire.
Her instincts screamed danger… but her soul whispered something else.
Mate.
Her wolf whimpered in recognition. This was impossible.
The man stepped closer. "He rejected you because he was blind. Weak. Arrogant." His voice was a low rumble, laced with menace. "But I see you. And I will never let you go."
Aria's heart stuttered. "Who… who are you?"
He stopped in front of her, towering like a shadow from an old legend. "Lucien Draven. King of Lycans."
Her eyes widened in shock.
The Lycan King?
The ruthless, untouchable ruler of all werewolf kind?
"I don't understand," she whispered.
He crouched down, cupping her chin gently. "You're mine, Aria. My fated mate. And no one—no one—hurts what belongs to me."
And just like that, her fate shifted again.
From rejected and broken…
To claimed by the most powerful being alive.